The Wedding Dress [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

~ Maria McBride-Mellinger (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Silk,tulle, satin and lace-mere yards of fabric to some, but to every bride are at the heart of a romantic dream -- her wedding dress."

So begins Maria McBride-Mellinger's paean to the wedding dress, illustrated celebration of this most glorious of dresses. A contributing editor at Bride's & Your New Home magazine, the author brings to this gorgeous volume an appreciation not only of style and fashion history, but also of the cultural and personal significance of the wedding gown.

No other garment is as imbued with symbolism and tradition as the wedding dress. From the earliest wedding ceremony, the bride has been dressed in the finest of clothes. Part I, The Wedding Dress in History, traces the development of wedding dresses from the gossamer white linen shifts worn by maidens in ancient Egypt to the delightful and varied creations favored by today's brides. Historical descriptions, vivid paintings, and fabulous photographs take the reader on a journey through wedding gown history, revealing the centuries of meaning that lie behind this special dress, and significance of such accoutrements as the veil, the train, and the bouquet.

Today' bride enjoys as vast array of choices when selecting her own wedding dress. It might be a white silk ball gown with a cathedral train and floor-length veil; or a short, golden lace sheath with a lamé stole and no veil at all; or perhaps a white leather jacket paired with a tulle miniskirt. The stunning photographs in Part II. The Modern Wedding Dress, show that the dress may be short, long, elaborate, simple, formal, informal, white, colorful, or any combination thereof -- as long as it fulfills the bride's own fantasies. Here are explanations of the elements that make each dress wonderful: the details of shape -- from princess-line to sheath; of style -- from neckline to hemline; and of fabrics -- from silk to linen. Here, too, is a superb showcase of the top designers' most enchanting creations that will both delight and inspire the modern bride plus a look behind the workroom door at the creation of the dress from design through painstaking construction to delivery

Part III, Your Wedding Dress, presents the basic considerations that go into choosing a dress: from the details of the wedding itself, such as season and locale, to the bride's own needs, from cut to comfort. Also included are a discussion of the various shades of white, tips on tactics to flatter every figure type, and advice on veils, undergarments, shoes, handbags, jewelry, and bouquets. Since for many brides the wedding dress is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to indulge in the luxury of custom-made clothing, here is a guide to the salon experience. The author offers helpful advice for dressing on the wedding day, and suggestions on how to preserve the gown after it's all over.

From the Inside Flap

"Silk,tulle, satin and lace-mere yards of fabric to some, but to every bride are at the heart of a romantic dream -- her wedding dress."

So begins Maria McBride-Mellinger's paean to the wedding dress, illustrated celebration of this most glorious of dresses. A contributing editor at Bride's & Your New Home magazine, the author brings to this gorgeous volume an appreciation not only of style and fashion history, but also of the cultural and personal significance of the wedding gown.

No other garment is as imbued with symbolism and tradition as the wedding dress. From the earliest wedding ceremony, the bride has been dressed in the finest of clothes. Part I, The Wedding Dress in History, traces the development of wedding dresses from the gossamer white linen shifts worn by maidens in ancient Egypt to the delightful and varied creations favored by today's brides. Historical descriptions, vivid paintings, and fabulous photographs take the reader on a journey through wedding gown history, revealing the centuries of meaning that lie behind this special dress, and significance of such accoutrements as the veil, the train, and the bouquet.

Today' bride enjoys as vast array of choices when selecting her own wedding dress. It might be a white silk ball gown with a cathedral train and floor-length veil; or a short, golden lace sheath with a lamé stole and no veil at all; or perhaps a white leather jacket paired with a tulle miniskirt. The stunning photographs in Part II. The Modern Wedding Dress, show that the dress may be short, long, elaborate, simple, formal, informal, white, colorful, or any combination thereof -- as long as it fulfills the bride's own fantasies. Here are explanations of the elements that make each dress wonderful: the details of shape -- from princess-line to sheath; of style -- from neckline to hemline; and of fabrics -- from silk to linen. Here, too, is a superb showcase of the top designers' most enchanting creations that will both delight and inspire the modern bride plus a look behind the workroom door at the creation of the dress from design through painstaking construction to delivery

Part III, Your Wedding Dress, presents the basic considerations that go into choosing a dress: from the details of the wedding itself, such as season and locale, to the bride's own needs, from cut to comfort. Also included are a discussion of the various shades of white, tips on tactics to flatter every figure type, and advice on veils, undergarments, shoes, handbags, jewelry, and bouquets. Since for many brides the wedding dress is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to indulge in the luxury of custom-made clothing, here is a guide to the salon experience. The author offers helpful advice for dressing on the wedding day, and suggestions on how to preserve the gown after it's all over.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1 edition (November 2, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679418849
• ISBN-13: 978-0679418849
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 10.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #881,021 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A visual treat but lacking in concrete information., May 22, 1998

By A Customer

This book looks fantastic-beautiful cover, lush full colour pics etc. but it really lets you down on the practicalities.For example, there is very little advice given on choosing the correct gown for different figure types. The photographs were also really dated and the sketches used by various bridal designers were pretty but totally unwearable.Having said that it's a great book for a student of fashion or someone interested in the historical basis of wedding gowns.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars pretty, but vapid, December 29, 1999

By A Customer

Lots of great modern pictures, but not a very thorough look at the history of wedding dresses. I was hoping for a more in-depth treatment.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars worth it just for the pictures, July 10, 2002

By	jennyc (nyc) - See all my reviews

there is text in this book but i barely made it past the pictures - historical dresses, cool modern ones, shoes, lace & more. a great book for deciding what you'd like your dress to look like. and daydreaming.